Circle Sea 1: The Pirate Maze

Chapter Five: Be Warned

The village teacher was the very image of an old sailor. He had grey straggly hair, rough weather-beaten skin and bushy sideburns. His bald patch was usually covered by a woolly hat and he had many of these in a range of patterns and colours. Sometimes he wore a stripy shirt which only added to the effect, but he was far more likely to be seen in a tatty old brown jacket which came down to his knees.

No-one seemed to know whether Darnell was his given or his family name. People called him either Darnell or Mr Darnell and he didn’t seem to mind which.

As Jim and Polly moved towards the door he stepped in front of them and held his hand up.

‘One moment you two,’ he said firmly.

They both stopped, looking longingly towards the sunlight as their classmates disappeared outside.

The teacher closed the door and propped himself up next to a desk.

‘Now, I’m not against curiosity - in fact I encourage it - but there are reasons why we have rules and they are meant to be followed.’

They looked at their feet as he continued.

‘I’m guessing you both slipped away last night without telling anyone. At your age, anything could have happened. You could have been snatched and taken off to sea and nobody would ever know what had happened. You could have had a serious accident or run into someone who was prepared to kill you just for the shirt on your back. Where would your poor mother be then?’ he asked looking straight at Jim.

‘And I don’t even want to think about your parents,’ he said to Polly in mild despair.

‘The harbour is a dangerous place for young people, especially at night. There are all sorts of strangers who come ashore and they all end up at the inn. There is a reason why we tell you to keep away.’

He shook his head sadly.

‘And there are things that happen there... things that are said... that are really not for your ears. Not yet anyway. There’s plenty of time for all that when you’re older, but you need to enjoy these years. You won’t get them back.’

He tried to give them an encouraging smile.

‘I hope you’ve learned your lesson and that no harm has been done. Please think however before you plan a stunt like that again.’

They both looked shamefaced and muttered a few apologies. Their teacher seemed to think that they had got the message.

After a while Jim looked up hopefully. He sensed this was probably going to be the best time to ask some questions. There might not be another opportunity.

‘Were those stories true?’ he asked.

Mr Darnell paused before replying. He seemed uncertain as to what he should say.

‘Mostly...’ he said at last. ‘There were a few extras here and there and some... misunderstandings... but there was a certain amount of truth being told last night.’

He seemed to be deep in thought for a moment and the children waited patiently for whatever he might say.

‘I did... meet... some of the pirates they were talking about, and they were... interesting people. Mary was certainly fierce but she had a lighter side too I think... and you really shouldn’t believe everything you hear about Two-Swords.’

Both Jim and Polly were now listening intently. Darnell had never spoken of his past before but they sensed there was a tale to tell. His eyes looked a little out of focus as he thought back to those times and the people he had known.